Has Fashion Reached Peak Kink?
Expressions of BDSM aesthetics and the wider kink community
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It may just be my Instagram feed, Pinterest page and TikTok recommended content, but if I was to hazard a guess, I’d say fashions becoming kinkier than ever. Think dominatrix-inspired looks such as harnesses, leather masks and gloves, latex biker caps and briefs, and years of runway looks that reference the BDSM community has meant that kink fashion is finally making its way into the mainstream. The 1992 Batman Returns film saw Michelle Pfeiffer play Catwoman in a figure-hugging latex catsuit, but latex and BDSM fashion references have reigned supreme in pop culture in more recent times - Lady Gaga wore red latex to meet HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Rihanna donned fetish attire in her S&M music video and Miley Cyrus’s performance at the 2013 VMAs with Robin Thicke saw her twerk in a matching nude latex bra and panties set.
Fashion is renowned for breaking cultural taboos and eliciting the shock factor. In a post-pandemic landscape people have become thirsty for a sense of fashion freedom and are turning to kinkwear to dress up, have fun and experiment with their style - its gotten so big that the likes of ASOS and H&M now sell faux leather harnesses which just a few moons ago wouldn’t have been seen outside of a sex shop. But as we operate in an over-sexualised society that removes typical barriers to revealing ourselves and showing our bodies through the likes of social media, and as BDSM fashion is now celebrated by being hyper visible and dominant in the fashion sphere, how will mining subcultures such as kink play out long term when BDSM and fetish nights face restriction and wider cultural backlash?
Pop culture's obsession with the kink aestheticÂ
Queen of the whip, commander of BDSM style and cultural icon Madonna has never given up on kinks sex-led style that she brought to fame in the 80s and 90s. Always one for putting on a racy display, at the 2021 MTV VMAs the 64-year-old appeared on stage - while voguing nonetheless - in a bondage style outfit that would have most definitely ruffled a few feathers. Following in her footsteps, Lady Gaga ushered in a new era of latex-led looks and ensembles in the 2010s that scream all things kink, more harnesses, unbelievably sky-high platform latex boots and outfits you definitely wouldn’t wear to your local supermarket sent fashion crowds into overdrive.
Even the Kardashians have been known to embrace kinkcore. At the 2021 Met Gala, the Oscars of the fashion world, KKW arrived in a black gown, stiletto boots and a mask that completely covered her face - thanks for that one Demna. And Gossip Girl actor Evan Mock arrived at the same event in a Thom Browne suit with shorts, accessorised with a spiked latex mask that fully covered his face - not sure how these looks worked with the ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ theme, but I'm all for an unusual out-of-the-box take on red-carpet dressing. Not to mention Dua Lipa arriving at the 2022 Grammy’s wearing a re-creation of a look from Gianni Versace’s infamous AW 1992 Miss S&M collection, and Julia Fox, a former dominatrix gracing us with a litany of outrageous and kinky paparazzi shots, its safe to say that in pops current cultural landscape the kinkier the better.
High-fashion, high stakes kink attire
The arrival of icon and legend Vivienne Westwood onto the fashion scene over 50 years ago democratised fetish fashion by giving it a chance to be explored in a more nuanced and stylistic way. The British designer worked with Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols and a prominent figure in the world of punk music, to set up a store on Kings Road in London named SEX. Clothes were largely inspired by fetishists, bikers and punk artists, with the rebellious spirit of all these different subcultures merged together to bring about a new time of cultural exploration and innovation in fashion. And since Dame Westwood started to push the limits of kink fashion way back when, a roster of brands and luxury designers have been jumping on the kink bandwagon in the hope of pushing fashions limits and tapping into new audiences.
Take Balenciaga for example. It’s 2022 resort show in NYC saw celebrities show up and show out; Kanye, Frank Ocean and Euphoria actress Alexa Demie sat front row alongside longtime Vogue editor Anna Wintour, while Megan Thee Stallion and Pharrell sat next to NYC mayor Eric Adams - you had to see it to believe it. Deep techno music blasted out of speakers, and guests were treated to models strutting down the catwalk in looks styled with latex that borrowed elements from fetish and kinkwear. Recurring nods to kink on the runways include less obvious choices such as fishnets, lace and chokers, but leather bustiers and exaggerated silhouettes, corsets, harnesses and an overwhelming amount of latex are a sign that kink and BDSM is moving into the world of high fashion, and raising the stakes in the process.
But where does this leave the kink community?
After making its way from underground fetish clubs and secret communities onto fashion's most popular and prominent catwalks, as well as red carpet and street style outfits that allow style and aesthetic choices to enter mainstream cultural discourse, kink fashion has without a doubt gone mainstream. The translation of fetish fashion into everyday contexts has allowed people to become more open-minded, fluid in their outfit choices and experimental with fashion. But as these looks, once tied to niche subcultures, movements and micro-communities, become incorporated into relentless trend cycles and wider fashion conversations, are the people that now buy into these trends aware of what they actually represent?
There was a time when people that wore kinkwear such as collars and harnesses in public would be scolded, ostracised, and outcasted, but now the individuals who inspired such trends are not being given credit where credit is due. How is it possible that designers and brands can borrow styles from sex workers, BDSM enthusiasts and others in the kink community, without paying homage to their expression of identity and collective community as shown through their sartorial kinkwear choices? While kink fashion still holds onto its ability to raise a few eyebrows, those at the heart of such fashion movements should not be left out of the conversation.
What are your thoughts on kinkwear and BDSM fashion? Do you think brands should be held responsible for greenwashing claims they can’t live up to?
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